City are already top of Group A after PSG could only pick up a 1-1 draw away to Club Brugge. That’ll give City tons of confidence that they can finish in the same position after five more games. Leipzig are bottom for now but their display here suggests they’ll at least push City and PSG to prevent them from strolling into the last 16.
City have made an early statement of intent by confidently dispatching Leipzig. Guardiola’s men were never really troubled by the visitors, although it took them until the last 15 minutes to finally finish the Germans off in what proved to be a rip-roaring game. Nkunku’s hat-trick will be of some consolation to Leipzig.
90′ + 4′ FULL-TIME: MANCHESTER CITY 6-3 RB LEIPZIG
90′ + 2′ Mahrez powers into the penalty area and fires at Gulacsi from near the byline down the right. Gulacsi is able to stop the shot from beating him at his near post.
90′ There’ll be four more minutes of this match. It’s been fantastic entertainment, you have to say.
89′ City are still looking for more goals, sensing an opportunity to rack up a healthy early goal difference. Foden’s shot is blocked from very close range and Orban hands the hosts a corner which Leipzig manage to survive unscathed.
88′ Szoboszlai sends the corner into City’s box and Poulsen heads high and wide from it. City are almost there.
87′ To their credit Leipzig are still fighting but it is surely for nothing now as far as points are concerned. Dias hands the visitors a corner.
85′ GOAL! MANCHESTER CITY 6-3 RB LEIPZIG! Jesus gets in on the act for City, smashing the ball into the top left corner as Leipzig fail to clear a corner and Mahrez’s shot from outside the box. Gulacsi had made a decent stop from Mahrez to concede the corner. VAR checks the goal for offside against Dias who’d touched the ball in the build-up, but the goal stands.
83′ Ake and Sterling almost force the ball past Gulacsi from a corner conceded by Klostermann. Gulacsi makes the save but the offside flag goes up against the City pair anyway.
81′ Nkunku heads off. His hat-trick looks like being in vain for Leipzig but he’s certainly caught the eye. Gvardiol comes on for him.
Gabriel Jesus
J. Grealish
81′ Grealish gets the last 10 minutes off having scored a lovely goal. Jesus takes his place in City’s front line.
80′ City would be wise to lower the heat of this game with Leipzig now down to 10 men. They’re preparing another substitution.
79′ RED CARD FOR ANGELINO! The former City man picks up his second yellow card for a clumsy challenge on Cancelo. It’s not been the return to Manchester he would have been hoping for.
77′ Nkunku’s record in this game is now one of three attempts and three goals. The match ball is his regardless of the result.
75′ All Gundogan had to do was to find Cancelo and City’s fantastic full-back did the rest. Will that goal finally kill Leipzig off?
75′ GOAL! MANCHESTER CITY 5-3 RB LEIPZIG! This is the game that keeps on giving! Cancelo receives a pass from Gundogan and lets rip from outside the box. It’s a swerving effort that finds the bottom left corner, and another candidate for goal of the game.
74′ Poulsen gets the assist for Nkunku’s latest goal, having slipped the Frenchman into the box. City still have a job to do here!
73′ GOAL! MANCHESTER CITY 4-3 RB LEIPZIG! This game isn’t over yet! Nkunku grabs his hat-trick, beating City’s offside trap to reach Poulsen’s throughball and slotting past Ederson from a tight angle.
72′ Here’s a Leipzig change too. The Netherlands U21 forward Brobbey replaces Olmo.
R. Sterling
Ferran Torres
72′ Torres will not get a goal today but he’s had a good outing. Sterling replaces him for City.
71′ Foden takes De Bruyne’s place in midfield. The Englishman will be glad to return after his Euro 2020 was ended by injury.
69′ Szoboszlai has a pop at goal from range and is off-target. City are preparing to bring Foden on.
68′ Angelino smashes a shot against a City defender in the box. It’s Leipzig’s first chance for a little while.
66′ Torres thinks he’s got his name on the scoresheet after showing some fancy footwork to beat Gulacsi and slot the ball home, seconds after having a shot blocked. The chance comes from another wonderful Cancelo pass between the lines. Sadly for Torres he’s a touch offside. A quick VAR check confirms the decision.
64′ Cancelo pings a great pass towards Gundogan who’s making a well-timed run through the middle. Gundogan’s touch just lets him down slightly, allowing Gulacsi to get to the ball first.
63′ Poulsen goes for goal from some way out and gets it horribly wrong. Nkunku catches Zinchenko in City’s half and gives away a free-kick.
62′ Fernandinho, who’s taken the captain’s armband from Dias, earns a free-kick on the halfway line for City. City will be wondering whether now is the time to shut this game down.
D. Szoboszlai
E. Forsberg
61′ Forsberg is next to go off for Leipzig. The Swede’s definitely impacted the game. Szoboszlai is his replacement.
60′ Leipzig’s summer signing Andre Silva also makes way. Poulsen takes his place up top.
60′ Leipzig also want to make a few changes. Laimer goes off. Haidara comes on.
İ. Gündoğan
Bernardo Silva
59′ Bernardo Silva also heads off. Gundogan will take his place in central midfield.
59′ City make their first round of substitutions. Fernandinho replaces Rodri at the base of City’s midfield.
58′ Angelino becomes the next Leipzig player in the book for bringing down De Bruyne.
56′ That move started with a direct pass by Dias who spotted Grealish in space. City’s captain for the day has contributed to the goal of the game so far.
56′ GOAL! MANCHESTER CITY 4-2 RB LEIPZIG! Grealish restores City’s two-goal advantage with a lovely strike! The Englishman drives inside from the left flank and curls past Gulacsi with a swish of his right foot. Leipzig knew it was coming but could do nothing about it.
54′ De Bruyne glowers at the referee as he’s taken out by Olmo. The Belgian isn’t happy with the way this game is turning towards Leipzig.
53′ Nkunku has had two attempts on goal for Leipzig. Both have been on target and both have been successful in scoring. Now that’s efficiency.
52′ De Bruyne takes aim from outside the box and isn’t too far from finding the bottom left corner. It’s difficult to know who will score next here.
51′ Olmo’s dinked cross was delightful but City should have defended that better. Leipzig are gaining more and more belief that they can turn this match around.
51′ GOAL! MANCHESTER CITY 3-2 RB LEIPZIG! City switch off at the back and get punished. It’s Nkunku with the header again as he drifts into the box unmarked to get on the end of Olmo’s cross. City have De Bruyne down near the centre circle but that’s no excuse for the lapse in concentration.
49′ Adams sees yellow for catching Grealish from behind. City must love having Grealish. The man is a foul magnet.
49′ Forsberg sends a measured pass towards Nkunku who loses out in the header. Adams clips Grealish’s heels as Grealish tidies things up for City.
48′ Torres makes a lovely turn into space but finds his path to goal blocked. Mahrez tries to pick up the pieces but Leipzig regroup well enough to snuff out the chance.
46′ De Bruyne sends Torres scampering down the left-hand channel. When Torres eventually shoots it’s tame and straight at Gulacsi.
45′ Man City kick us off for the second half. Neither side has seen fit to make changes at half-time.
All seven of City’s shots so far in this match have been from inside the box. Leipzig have looked up for this while not being particularly organised defensively. The visitors will need to tighten up after half-time if they want to salvage anything from this game.
It’s so far, so good for City who’ve had this game well under control for the most part. Since Ake’s fine header gave them the lead, City have been on top. That said, Leipzig have been able to get behind the hosts on occasion, such as for Nkunku’s goal. More of this to come!
45′ + 2′ HALF-TIME: MANCHESTER CITY 3-1 RB LEIPZIG
45′ + 2′ GOAL! MANCHESTER CITY 3-1 RB LEIPZIG! Mahrez steps up and sweeps the penalty into the top right corner with his left foot. Gulacsi is nowhere near it.
L. Klostermann
Yellow Card
45′ + 1′ Klostermann’s indiscretion earns him a yellow card. Mahrez will be the City player to take the penalty.
45′ PENALTY FOR CITY! Cancelo picks out Torres with a cross into the box and Torres’s header is blocked by Klostermann’s arm. It’s an obvious penalty offence as we enter one minute of added time in this half.
44′ City look to re-establish a two-goal lead before the break. Cancelo picks out Grealish with a good crossfield pass but the hosts are unable to make the most of it.
42′ Mukiele’s header there goes some way towards making amends for his own goal earlier. A Leipzig goal wasn’t coming but the visitors have undoubtedly improved since going 2-0 down.
42′ GOAL! MANCHESTER CITY 2-1 RB LEIPZIG! Leipzig pull a goal back before half-time. Forsberg floats the ball towards the far post. Mukiele keeps the chance alive and Nkunku nods into the bottom left corner.
41′ Forsberg slips in behind City’s back line with a good run but his attempted cross is too close to Ederson.
40′ Forsberg’s corner is headed away and City force Leipzig to pass back to Gulacsi.
39′ Olmo’s volley takes a deflection and Leipzig will get another corner. This is a good spell for the Germans.
38′ Angelino races onto a throughball from deep and tries to pull it back to Nkunku near the penalty spot. Ake is off-balance but manages to scoop the ball behind for a corner.
36′ Rodri commits a canny foul on Olmo in City’s half just as Leipzig are breaking forward. City’s water carrier escapes a yellow card.
36′ Grealish comes inside on his right foot and stings the hands of Gulacsi with a low shot. Gulacsi can’t hold it but is reprieved by the offside flag.
35′ Andre Silva puts the ball in the net for Leipzig as he gets in behind City and slots past Ederson at the second attempt. The offside flag goes up straight away. It’s a warning sign for City though.
33′ City play keep ball for a while. They’ve had 58 per cent possession of it so far in this first half.
31′ Angelino fires in a first-time cross from the left with Cancelo sticking a foot out. City clear it.
30′ City are cruising at the moment. Leipzig are unable to get anywhere, demonstrated by Forsberg finding himself with the ball before three City players instantly swarm around him.
28′ GOAL! MANCHESTER CITY 2-0 RB LEIPZIG! De Bruyne shows great skill to beat his man down the right and fire a cross into the corridor of uncertainty. Mukiele gets his defensive header all wrong and puts it past Gulacsi!
26′ De Bruyne fizzes the free-kick in and Ake is inches away from stabbing it into the net at the far post. Ake would have been offside but it’s a fantastic delivery by De Bruyne nonetheless.
25′ De Bruyne sends in a typically brilliant cross and Grealish’s snap shot is blocked by Mukiele. Grealish chases after the ball and gets caught by Nkunku. That’ll be a City free-kick.
24′ City earn another corner. Grealish hangs this one up towards the far post and Angelino whacks it out of play for a throw-in.
22′ Orban hands City another corner but Grealish is offside. Leipzig get behind City’s high line and Nkunku rolls the ball across goal and wide. He too is offside, but Leipzig are showing flashes of quality here.
20′ Mahrez has sight of goal of the box and guides the ball towards the far bottom corner. It takes a big deflection off a Leipzig player on its way behind but somehow the officials signal for a goal-kick.
18′ Forsberg leads a Leipzig counter-attack only to get crowded out when he drifts towards the middle. Bernardo Silva’s penalised for raising his foot too high when challenging for the bouncing ball.
16′ Grealish’s corner was perfect and Ake wanted to get on the end of it more than anyone else. His goal is a just reward.
16′ GOAL! MANCHESTER CITY 1-0 RB LEIPZIG! Grealish fizzes the corner in and Ake powers a header past Gulacsi! The Dutch centre-back is totally unmarked. It’s a great start for City and Ake’s first ever Champions League goal.
15′ Mahrez cuts onto his favoured left foot and curls a delicious cross to the far post where Grealish is arriving. Mukiele gets high to head the ball out for a City corner first.
13′ Mukiele’s free-kick doesn’t trouble City. Leipzig earn another set-piece a few seconds later. Olmo leans back and sends a volley from outside the box high and wide.
12′ Zinchenko picks up an early yellow card for catching the face of Olmo with his arm. The Ukrainian will have to be careful now.
10′ Grealish threads a decent pass through to Torres who goes down in the penalty area under pressure from Adams. It’s only when the Spain international hits the turf that the offside flag goes up against him.
9′ Angelino fires a cross towards City’s box but it’s blocked. City try to counter but they can’t find Torres’ good run up front.
7′ Grealish receives possession down City’s left and checks onto his right foot just before Mukiele steals the ball from him. The former City player Angelino puts the ball out for a City throw on the opposite side.
5′ City work the ball from side to side. De Bruyne bustles into the box and looks to bang a cross into the danger area. Leipzig’s defenders are alert and clear it.
3′ As expected, City are getting settled on the ball early on. Mahrez attracts the ire of the offside flag as he looks to dart down the right-hand channel.
1′ The players take the knee and Leipzig get this game underway!
The two teams are out on the pitch in Manchester and stand for the Champions League anthem. It never fails to stir the emotions!
City are highly experienced when it comes to the Champions League group stage and dispatching German opposition. The hosts are unbeaten in their last 17 Champions League group stage games and won all four of their games against German sides last season. Meanwhile, Leipzig have lost three of their last four Champions League away games, failing to score in those defeats. This will be an early chance for Leipzig to show the big boys what they’re made of this season.
Guardiola makes four changes to the City side that won 1-0 away to Leicester City last weekend. Zinchenko, Ake, De Bruyne and Mahrez come in as Torres leads the front line. There are three changes to Leipzig from their 1-4 home shellacking by Bayern Munich.
SUBS: Ilaix Moriba, Brian Brobbey, Josko Gvardiol, Benjamin Henrichs, Josep Martinez, Dominik Szoboszlai, Yussuf Poulsen, Kevin Kampl, Amadou Haidara, Mohamed Simakan.
RB LEIPZIG (4-2-3-1): Peter Gulacsi (c); Lukas Klostermann, Willi Orban, Nordi Mukiele, Angelino; Konrad Laimer, Tyler Adams; Dani Olmo, Emil Forsberg, Christopher Nkunku; Andre Silva.
SUBS: Romeo Lavia, Fernandinho, Scott Carson, Kyle Walker, Raheem Sterling, Phil Foden, Gabriel Jesus, Cole Palmer, Cieran Slicker, Ilkay Gundogan.
MANCHESTER CITY (4-3-3): Ederson; Joao Cancelo, Ruben Dias (c), Nathan Ake, Oleksandr Zinchenko; Kevin De Bruyne, Rodri, Bernardo Silva; Riyad Mahrez, Ferran Torres, Jack Grealish.
City’s first opponents are RB Leipzig in what will be these teams’ first ever meeting in European competition. Germany’s second best side last season, Leipzig will be hopeful of squeezing through a group which not only features City but also Paris Saint-Germain. Their progress will depend on their ability to pick up points against such heavyweight sides.
For Man City, the Champions League remains the holy grail. After being beaten by Chelsea in last season’s final, Pep Guardiola and his men will be itching to lift the famous trophy at last in Saint Petersburg next year. That starts with City safely navigating a potentially awkward Group A and, first of all, achieving their 50th ever win in the competition.
Hello! Welcome to our live text commentary of this UEFA Champions League Group A match between Manchester City and RB Leipzig at the Etihad Stadium, Manchester.
City get their Champions League campaign off to a flying start, then, by putting on an exhibition of attacking football. The rest of Europe had better watch out. That’s all for now. Goodbye!